Middle-Aged Tooth Loss Associated With Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Tulane University School of Public Health in New Orleans and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston suggest a link between losing two or more teeth in middle age and increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Investigators presented their preliminary research at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions in New Orleans in March.

The collaborative investigation analyzed tooth loss in adults between ages 45 to 69 who did not have cardiovascular disease when the study began. Participants initially self reported the number of natural teeth they had, and, in a follow-up questionnaire, recent teeth loss. Researchers studied tooth loss and incidence of cardiovascular disease among participants with no tooth loss, one tooth lost, and two or more teeth lost over 12 to 18 years.

Compared to those with no tooth loss, subjects who began the study with 25 to 32 natural teeth and subsequently lost two or more teeth had a 23% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The team also reports that cardiovascular disease risk for all participants increased 16% among those who lost two or more teeth during the study, compared to those who didn’t lose any teeth — regardless of the number of natural teeth they had at the beginning of the study. According to the report, increased risk for cardiovascular disease occurred regardless of a participant’s diet, physical activity, body weight and other cardiovascular risk factors.